Page 4 of Unexpected Boyfriends

Wearegetting along well and he doesn’t seem to mind my company, so as we finish dessert, I lean across and in a low voice ask, “Do you want to head down to the beach after this?”

“Don’t you want to hang around and socialize with the adults?” he asks me, eyebrows raised, a perplexed expression on his face.

Oh.Did I misjudge?My chest tightens, feels heavy. Maybe he’s not really enjoying being with me after all, maybe he’s just really good at faking it socially.

“Um, yeah, sure,” I mumble.

The side of his mouth quirks up in the faintest beginnings of a smile.

“Because I don’t,” Axel says.

What? I’m confused, didn’t he just imply he didn’t want to hang out with me?

“Let’s go to the beach,” he says, a slow teasing smile spreading across his face.

I’m having trouble processing this conversation, not helped by the fact that Axel just ran his tongue over his lower lip and I’m finding that highly distracting. He smirks. The fuck? Does heknow what he's doing to me? He really must. He's just messing with me.

Feeling a little off-kilter, I stand up and start clearing the table.

“We’re going down to the beach,” I announce. No-one objects. They’re probably all happy that Axel and I have hit it off.

“Got swimmers?” I can’t lend him a pair of mine as I’m a lot smaller than he is.

“Sure. Wearing them,” he says, giving a little tug at his waistband. Apparently, he had plans to get away early too and came prepared.

“You didn’t really want to come today, did you?” It doesn’t bother me, after all I’d been the same. We’re pretty much on the same wavelength here.

“Well, let’s just say I’d rather be at the beach than all dressed up for lunch,” he leans in conspiratorially and replies in a voice low enough that no-one else can hear. Then adds, “Not sorry I came though.” And his eyes sparkle as he gives me a bit of a lookover.

I feel my cheeks heat up and I look away.

“I’m not so much the rebel so Iwillhave to go and get changed. You okay to walk down?”

“Sure.”

“Okay. Give me five minutes.”

I disappear off to my bedroom to change and hurry back with a couple of beach towels under my arm.

“Need a towel?” I ask, but Axel shakes his head.

“Got one in the car. I’ll grab it on the way out,” he says, as we head out.

After retrieving his towel from his parent’s car, Axel confesses, “Iwashoping to get away early and go to the beach.”

“Sucks having to come and babysit, doesn’t it?” I joke, though a part of me worries that he might still feel that way.

“Nah, you’re okay,” Axel says and bumps me with his shoulder.

The walk down to the beach is pleasant. Mostly we talk, but when we lapse into silence, we’re both comfortable enough to leave it unfilled. I’m glad. Despite the age difference, we seem to be socially quite compatible.

When we reach the bottom of the hill and arrive at the beach, I admire the way Axel moves around with the confidence of someone who’s grown up here. He seems totally at home, and he acknowledges the lifeguards, who have their tower set up on the sand, with a half-salute.

"Heya Axel mate, whatcha been doing?" one yells down as we walk past.

"Nothing much, man, just the usual," he replies casually.

"Wanna pull a shift, mate? We're short at the moment."

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